Knight In Shining Armor
by Diddle10
Summary: Gilbert doesn't live an easy life supporting his mother and younger brother. It gets even harder when he's told by the King to find some princess in a tower. He agrees, having to help his family. Gilbert leaves on a quest to save a princess that he doesn't even want to save. But what if a simple rescue turns into love at first sight?


**Hey guys! I started another story... And it's probably the best thing I've ever written (so far). I hope you enjoy:3**

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I hated him. It was as simple as that. He was a cruel man that no one wanted ruling the land. He had been born into the monarchy. His father had been king, and seeing that he was the only child, he was heir to the throne. When he had been crowned, a smirk was present. My father had died when I was very young, so I had had to provide for my mother and younger brother. After years of waiting and doing pointless jobs, I was 18 years old, old enough to be a knight. So I signed up. He had picked me, probably because he loved picking on me for being poor when I was younger. Now that I couldn't fight back, the taunting would get worse.

"Gilbert," he called. I walked over to his majesty and kneeled at his feet. I hated this.

"Yes, your Highness?" I mumbled. He smirked.

"Stand up, knight," he ordered. I did as instructed. "I have a job for you."

"Yes, your Highness?"

"I need you to rescue a Princess for me. I wish to make her my bride." I nodded. You never went against him. He could burn your home down before you could say "Your Highness". I didn't need my family on the streets.

He nodded before he sent me out to tell my family and get a good night's sleep. I would have to be back bright and early in the morning.

It was pouring outside. By the time I got home, I was drenched. My silver hair stuck to my forehead and the droplets dripped into my eyes often. I always looked different from everybody else. My hair was an unnatural shade of white and my eyes sparkled like bright rubies. My mother had said it was striking and I should show it off to the world. Others said it was a sin and hid their children.

My brother, Ludwig, was the normal one. He had the normal looks. Perfect blonde hair and normal blue eyes. I envied the way he could blend into the crowd when I so wanted to be hidden. Even so, I couldn't hate my brother. When I had walked in, he had been the first to welcome me home. He was 15 years old, but I had ruffled his hair as if he were still five. He didn't mind, but he pretended that he did.

My home was small. It had a tiny kitchen with a small wood oven in the corner, a pantry with what little food we could afford, and a small wooden table and chairs I had built. There was a small sitting room next to it with a few more chairs I had built. Upstairs were two bedrooms, one for my mother and another for my brother and me to share. Each only held a single bed, a small table with a candle on it, and a dresser with a mirror next to it. The garden we had only seemed to grow weeds.

My mother sat in the sitting room. She smiled when she saw me walk in. The scarf she had been knitting sat next to the chair forgotten. I wrapped my arms around her when she stood up. She knew what was coming. I might not be coming back. Not many did.

"You know I'm proud of you, right?" she murmured. I nodded feeling the tears coming. I tried to be brave for Ludwig's sake. He hugged us both. We stood like that for a while.

"You'll be coming back, won't you?" he asked pulling away from us.

"I can't be sure. But if I don't, you're going to have to be the man of the house." He nodded. I pulled him into another hug. I could tell he was trying not to cry. Our mother was the only one who didn't hold back. Her sapphire eyes filled up with the droplets before it got too heavy and it spilled onto her face.

"Try to come back! Please!" she sobbed.

"I will," I assured her.

…

While my mother got started on what could be my last meal at home, I sat in my room. I lay down on my bed staring at the ceiling. There were a bunch of holes, so some rain dripped inside.

A tiny golden bird flew around my head. He was my only friend besides my brother. I had found him by a stream that my father had shown me once. He had had a broken wing. I had taken him home with me and had nursed him back to health. He didn't care that I looked different than everyone else. The little guy stuck by my side.

"Gilbird, what would you do if I didn't come back?" I asked. He chirped. "You plan to go with me then?" He landed on my head. "I'm going to take that as a yes." He chirped again making me smile. Ludwig walked in.

"You can't go," he stated. I sat up.

"Ludwig, I have to. You can't just—" I started to say.

"Yeah I know. You can't go against the King. The thing is Roderich is a horrible King. He's doing this just to get you killed!"

"I know. But we need the money, and who knows what he'll do if I refuse?" He sat down next to me. A single tear slid down his cheeks. He tried to hide it.

"Just come back then! You can't die!" he exclaimed. His hands were balled into fists, and he was looking at the ground. Tears were falling down his face, and he was shaking. I stretched out my hand to him, but he ran out of the room. After a few seconds, I followed him.

My mother was already setting the table. It had all my favorite foods. She had made beef stew with fresh vegetables, mashed potatoes to pour the stew over, fresh bread, and a cold glass of milk. My mouth was watering at the sight.

"Mother, how could you afford to make this?" I questioned. We barely had this dinner. Just because I was a knight, doesn't mean I was rich. King Roderich paid me next to nothing, only really enough to scrape by.

"I've been saving up for a while. I was going to surprise you tomorrow, but seeing that you won't be home, I had to make it tonight." She smiled at me. A few strands of blonde curls fell into her eyes. She didn't bother pulling them away, for they would fall back again. It always happened. She wiped her hands on her apron and sat down. Ludwig and I followed her example a couple seconds later.

We ate in silence. All you could hear was the scraping of spoons in bowls. I wished they would say something so I didn't have to. I was afraid that whatever I said would make them cry. I hated when they cried.

"This is amazing," I commented. My mother smiled trying to hold back tears. Ludwig wouldn't look up from his bowl. I took another bite. My mother had always been an amazing cook. She always made the best meals, and the baker envied her pastries.

More silence.

I finished early and went to put my bowl and silverware on the counter for me to wash in the river later. My family still sat in the same spots, not moving an inch or saying a thing. I left the silence to help my heartbreak and to pack a bag. I knew I would be gone for months (or even forever) so I didn't pack light.

I packed an old, beaten up sling bag with the little clothing I had, an extra pair of boots—the light ones, good for running—and what little money I had managed to scavenge throughout the years. It was pocket change for most, but a fortune to me. I secured it safely in a handkerchief my mother had given me when I became a knight and proceeded to hide it in between everything else.

I set aside my sword and changed out of my armor, setting that aside also. I exited my room and walked into the kitchen. They hadn't moved an inch, their food turning cold. I frowned more and watched. Tears were sliding down both their faces, my mother's body shaking uncontrollably from the sobs threatening to escape. Soon they did; heart wrenching cries of pain and sorrow echoed off the walls. I stopped myself from running to hold her and tell her everything was alright. Nothing was though.

Ludwig stood up from his chair and crawled onto my mother's lap, wrapping his arms her neck, and snuggling into her chest just like he did when he was a small child. He hid is face in her neck and I knew he was crying also. It tore my broken heart to shreds. I had to go, though.

I raked a hand through my hair, pulling on it a little to stop myself from crying. It didn't work, for a single tear slid down my cheek. I wiped it away quickly, a frustrated growl escaping my lips. I bit down on them to stop myself from making my presence known and ruining their mood further. The taste of blood filled my mouth when I bit down too hard, but I didn't care.

I retreated back to my room feeling like a coward. My heart ached for them. I sat on my bed not knowing what else to do. It was still early, but I needed to be ready before the sky could change to beautiful shades of magenta and gold. Those colors would haunt me soon. I would be punished if I were late.

I sighed staring at the candle's glow. The wax dripped and reminded me more of the departure I would make tomorrow. The crying would be worse then. I quickly blew out the small flame and snuggled into the sheets. I could still hear everything in the other room causing me to just lay there staring at the ceiling. It was leaking a bit I noticed.

I forced my eyes to shut, but sleep wouldn't come. Everything hurt. After a half hour or so, I heard the crying stop. The house was filled with silence. After a few seconds, I heard the sound of feet shuffling. I closed my eyes, pretending to sleep.

Ludwig sat on the bed and sniffled a bit. I could feel his tear filled stare on my face. He grabbed my hand and held it between both of his. He kissed my palm gently and put it on his tear stained face like I did when he was younger.

"Brother…" he croaked. I didn't reply, nor did I move an inch.

"Gil, I have to tell you something. I have to tell you that you are the best brother a kid could ask for. I wouldn't trade you for anyone else," he continued tripping up near the end. He kissed my palm again.

"I love you," he whispered. He then lay down next to me on the bed we shared and snuggled up against me like he always did. The front of my shirt was soaked in seconds. Still, I didn't dare move. After ten minutes of torture, he finally fell asleep. All you could hear after that was the sound of our mingled breathes. _I love you too, _I thought before the need for sleep was too great and I passed out from exhaustion.

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**How is it so far? It'll be multi-chaptered but it'll probably take me a while to write the others... Reviews are loved and appreciated:)**


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